Real Estate Marketing | The Complete Guide For Property Owners
Perhaps the term "real estate marketing" is unfamiliar to you, but you have surely noticed the explosion of demand for Airbnb and rental properties in general. It makes perfect sense when you consider that there are now an incredible number of options and that customers have become more selective in the accommodation they choose. A few years ago, we might have said that the "stars" a hotel had made the difference. In today's age, the "stars" certainly don't mean much. In addition, there is plenty of accommodation, from inns to rental villas and boats for one to choose from! As we understand with such a range of options the competition becomes fierce, the services provided are upgraded and a race to attract customers begins. Fortunately for you, you can now use real estate marketing to create a powerful strategy that will bring you visitors and, of course, revenue.! What is real estate marketing?; Real estate marketing is a multifaceted strategy that helps you make the most of resources, money and time to attract visitors interested in your property. And when we say complex, we mean it. You can take advantage of platforms like booking.com and kayak.com, to partner with local businesses to offer unique experiences in the area, upgrade your site and more. Whether you manage a hotel, villa, B&B, hostel or Airbnb, these marketing strategies and ideas will help you achieve your primary hosting marketing goals. Who are they; Primary goals are to boost brand awareness and search for your property, which translate into more visitors. Let's look at the tools in real estate marketing 1. Create a Marketing Plan As the saying goes: "A goal without a plan is just a wish". There is no successful business without a plan behind it. An annual marketing plan is a critical first step in ensuring that your marketing activities are focused and driven towards the results you desire.. And since we are talking about hosting you should do a good research and be organized to have a solid foundation. A real estate marketing plan should include the following elements: Market overview and the latest trends in hospitality Marketing objectives, brand positioning and competitive landscape Roles and responsibilities Target markets Objectives, strategies and performance metrics by channel Packages and promotions Marketing budget Activity calendar 2. Where to Place Your Property Clearly the first step to getting your property 'out there' is a website. This is also the simplest form for someone to search for you organically(through search engines). In this piece, sure, SEO plays an important role. From there there are many channels you can list your business. We suggest using all or as many as possible. Such channels are social media, email marketing, the paid media, real estate listing platforms, trade fairs and events, various collaborations, public relations and online reputation management. Many; Believe me, they need us! Read also: SEO friendly content, how to create and take off your site 3. Identify your target markets We have written many times about the target market and the ideal customer as a key pillar of marketing. Real estate marketing is no exception. Let's see it with an example: Let's say you have a 200 sq.m. villa for rent. with swimming pool and private beach. Clearly, in this case you are targeting a very specific audience that can afford to pay for the overnight stay and not a small to medium sized family. Accordingly if you have a B&B in the center of a college campus you are probably targeting individual visitors. Which accommodation is better of the two; None! For real estate marketing it is the same! It doesn't matter what your property is. It is important to target the right audience so that it is constantly filled with visitors. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, it is much more effective to identify your target markets and focus time and money on attracting them. To be able to find your target markets answer the questions: Who are your ideal visitors?; What is the purpose of their trip; Who live; How they learn about your property; Where do they book from?; By grouping visitors into individual audiences, you can tailor your messages to each group of your target audience and find other travelers who share similar characteristics. 4. Create your hotel website We mentioned above that having a website is of vital importance. If you have not created your website now is the time to do so if you want your business to be considered modern. In contrast to a static brochure or a simple entry on a tourist site of the region, a website is a dynamic entity that needs to be regularly updated with new, fresh content. This may include seasonal promotions, changes to policies or information about upcoming events. We clearly do not mention the obvious such as contact details, map with the location of your property and photos of the interior and exterior spaces. It is also essential that the website is easy to navigate, simple and formatted appropriately for all devices. In order for the website to be tailored to your target audience and provide a great browsing experience you should follow its UX design. What is UX design and why is it important for small businesses?; also, it is important that your website contains a real-time booking system so that the visitor can book easily. Doing so will further promote your professionalism. 5. Invest in professional photos Lies are bad! The first thing a potential guest checks at a property is the photos. Ideally, he wants to find photos of both indoor and outdoor spaces as well as photos of the area and the activities it offers. With today's smartphone technology, almost anyone can take stunning photos. This is good for social media, but not for the professional display of your property. Will…